Stoking The Fire

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6

In order to keep a fire burning bright you have to keep adding fuel which is wood to make it burn big and bright and warm. For your spiritual fire to stay burning it needs stoked too with reading the Bible, prayer and giving glory to God. 

It is hard for the enemy Satan to attack when you are reading the Bible and can quote scriptures to him to tell him he is a liar and a thief. Most of the problems in our present culture stem from the influence of demonic spirits trying to change the minds and hearts of people. 

Stay on your knees in prayer. Pick up your Bible and if you don’t have one let me know I will buy you one. Start reading the Psalms they are found in the Old Testament. Don’t be afraid of the Bible. Depending on your background you may look at the Bible as a big scary hard to understand book. It is not. Start today to decide things will be different. Don’t just exist but seek to get closer to God in 2025. 

PRAYER: I thank you Lord for providing my daily needs and I thank you for my Bible and forgive me when it sits gathering dust for only by opening it do I gain victory over my enemy. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Jesus Is No Joke

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.2 Timothy 3:1-5

Many I think get the idea to say if you are born in America you are a Christian. This is a Christian nation founded on the principles in the Bible but living here doesn’t make you an automatic Christian. 

Hollywood seems to make a mockery of faith and the world in general has a set of standards that make people of God seem hateful, bigoted. You can easily get mesmerized by evil and think it is not that bad. Like a frog in a pot of cold water where the heat is slowly increased til he boils to death. That is how it is easy to become numb to sin. 

This is a spiritual battle of good and evil light versus dark. You have to know your Bible and read it daily. Don’t get caught up in the culture which is certainly not God friendly. I have been called judgmental when I stand for truth and that hurts. Live your life to please God not man. 

PRAYER: Father I forgive my enemies and those who are trying to destroy the culture with lies. I ask you protect my family and friends from lies and even many in the church. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

And You Are My Witnesses

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”Acts 1:8 NIV Bible Gateway 

When you decide to follow Christ and live for Him you become His representative of sorts going out into the world to be a salt shaker flavoring the world around you for the kingdom of God. 

Today’s verse was when Jesus walked the earth but even today you as His follower if you accepted Christ and live for Him are witnesses to tell of his love and miracles.

You tell others about your experience when you gave your heart to Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit empowers believers to speak the truth in love. Also the Holy Spirit will convict of sin and gently guide you to the truth. Have you listened to wrong voices and lost your first love meaning the Lord? It is never too late to throw off sins and come back to Christ. 

PRAYER: Father use me to show love to others even at times when I myself feel a little discouraged help me to brighten another’s day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Do You Need To Laugh?

 

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”Proverbs 17:22

Sometimes it is hard to laugh. Sometimes things in your life don’t merit laughter because of the magnitude of the issue. But all in all if you can try to laugh. 

You might allow yourself to take on things in your mind that really are not going to help you but burden you. If you do then naturally you may get anxious over something that really you don’t need to get concerned over. 

Try to stay light hearted even when you have a legit reason to be weighed down by anxiety. Don’t allow the things of this world to determine your joy. There are lots of fun comedians out there that are ‘clean’ and hilarious. Funniest Home Videos or even clean church humor. Now go find joy in your journey. 

PRAYER: Thanks for the gift of laughter. Even at a celebration of life it is nice to laugh when funny things are shared about the person who passed. Help me always stay joyful. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

21 Days, 7 Days, 5 Days

 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Ephesians 2:10 NIV Bible Gateway

There are books with the above numbers in their titles usually designed for self improvement programs or getting closer to God. I have tried a few and even wrote one called ‘God’s Lemonade Stand:101 Sips To Refresh Your Soul’ and the number gives you a goal of sorts to work on and counting down the days seems a way to simplify your task. 

Once you have this book or Ap you have to pick it up and use it as to say that sounds good but to just put it on a shelf or not open up the program on the Ap does nothing. Case in point would be losing weight where a title might read 40 Days To A New Body but only if you do what it says. 

Do you want to get closer to God? Getting closer doesn’t mean all your problems go away but you will have the tools to help you walk the journey you are on whether it is grief, rejection, loneliness and so forth. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy it says in 1 Peter 5:8. Don’t let him destroy you. Stay focused on things above. Run to God. 

PRAYER: Father I need you in my life in my thoughts and I ask you help those I know far from you rejecting you and rejecting others. Help use me on someone’s life far from God. Heal the broken hearted sometimes that is me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Toxic Thinking

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are-noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.Philippians 4:8

Who is on the throne of your life and what kind of things do you dwell on a daily basis? Allowing the enemy to manipulate you can happen very easily when you are not pursuing a relationship with Christ. 

How do I do that you might say?First pick up your Bible or download the you version Bible App. Explore many topics you can study. Keep social media put away. Why do you need to know everyone’s thoughts and feelings anyway. I know of a person who once did a year fast from social media and truly did them a world of good. I have several friends who skip it altogether!  

So many of us, myself included can waste valuable time dwelling on things that drag you down or don’t matter. To watch crowds of people like zombies staring at their ‘little boxes’ is quite a site. Controlled by the little device that lets anything we want into our mind. You have to purpose in your heart what you will do all the while keeping Christ front and center. 

PRAYER: I want to enrich my mind with the word of God and think on good things not things that will depress me or make me go into a tailspin, so Lord I need your help for discipline and strength to do this. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Honor Your Momma

"Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children."Proverbs 17:6

Watching many ladies with walkers entering an assisted living van recently while at a coffee shop I noted there were no men just ladies. I pondered for a while about the life these ladies had in their younger years. 

Some may have been mothers either by natural birth or adoption. Perhaps others wanted children but could not have them. Others still may have been content to life alone with a bird and a dog. Everyone is different. 

But as I watched these older woman navigate the steps, the walkers, the wheelchair lifts I thought of how much everyone needs to say thanks to your mom the one who raised you. Often in later years they are forgotten and shuffled off to a facility to be more comfortable. For others there is not a choice. The word honor comes to mind. Show honor to your mom if still living and respect her. Why isn’t there a Barbie Doll that is just a mom? 

PRAYER: I am grateful for my mom. Often I never said thanks enough for all she did. In Jesus’ name. Amen.